Mycorrhizal mycelia production in relation to forest management intensity and ecosystem functions

• Applicant: Rodica Pena, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Ecology and Biodiversity of Plants and Ecosystems
• Term: from 2014 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 252221843

The goal of this proposal is to investigate the biomass and species composition of soil mycorrhizal extramatrical mycelium (EMM) in relation to land-use intensity and ecosystem processes such as carbon and nutrient cycling. EMM production, standing biomass and turnover will be for the first time estimated in beech (Fagus sylvatica) forests. I hypothesize that EMM, which can be regarded as flexible joint between C and N flux, depends on forest management practices that influence the resource availability. The study will be conducted within the large-scale and long-term Biodiversity Exploratories project compassing up to 150 forest experimental plots. EMM will be therefore analyzed under a large range of management types and intensities. Hence, I will answer to what extent the EMM biomass is affected by resource variability and whether mycorrhizal fungal species richness affects EMM biomass production. Based on the fungal species trait to produce different types of EMM, I will assess the functional redundancy in soil mycorrhizal fungal communities.

• DFG Programme: Infrastructure Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 1374: Biodiversity Exploratories